9.10.2011

Landscape Repair

The above photo more or less shows the state of one end of the new viaduct after my demolition last year to expand the layout to "Version 4".

In the below construction photos from last year, you can see the original alignments, and the start of the new 'hole' to get the Red Line to cross under the elevated viaduct track in a straight direction.

Below is the ultimate alignment of the track - and the complete loss of all the supporting fascia for the viaduct!

A more recent view, with no progress on fixing the viaduct, showing the addition of a siding and turnout to the inside track.

The first step to repair this section was tto fill in the previous 'hole' where the above mentioned 'inside track' used to circle back and then continue along the back side of the freight yard. Sheets of Styrofoam are used to give the basic foundation.

After the glue set on the Styrofoam (be sure to use a Styrofoam safe glue!), I started to apply Sculpt-a-Mold, with a bit of black acrylic paint and a touch of yellow oxide mixed in- just to take the 'bright white' look of the plaster away in case some of it gets exposed.

I used a kitchen spoon to apply until most of the Styrofoam is covered....

Once I get the shape looking right, I smooth out the Styrofoam with the spoon, re-used some of the plaster rock castings from the original cut, and let it dry.

Once dry, I used my homemade 'static grass applicator' (I used the electric fly swatter method that you can find on YouTube and various modelling forums), although the static grass doesn't always give complete coverage, I like to sprinkle a touch of standard, dark green flock over the static grass while the glue is still wet.

I used Sintra once again as a modelling material to create the viaducts taking careful measurements to ensure that errant pantographs don't get caught on the arches!

The (more or less) final look below (before the addition of some details and being painted and weathered)...a huge improvement over the unsightly mess its been for the past year, and a much nicer look than it was in the older "Version 3".

I love the different camera angles. Great re-model! I've been meaning to ask you this for some time, but keep forgetting. How long does it take you to complete a task such as this from design to implementation?

@ Train Spotter...Thank you as well! Well I would say the area covered in this post is about a year total from original demolition to looking acceptable! If I think about it, most of the really big projects take about a year (my earlier remodel of 'downtown' with the addition of the tram line, etc...was also another year in the making). It would probably be a lot faster if I didn't have so many areas like this to work on! Plus, I get distracted and kind of go from one area to the next depending on my level of inspiration!

Thanks for the information. I find I tend to over think things so much that I never get out of the planning stages. It's good to see the progress of other people's layout. It gives me motivation to just do it.

Wow, I'm really impressed by your work. I have maybe a question for you. I'm building an N scale layout also (it's really just starting at this point stuff on order and such) it's a 3 track layout with catenary and a few german/swiss intercity trains and some freight. As I haven't got nearly the amount of room you have I wanted to build focalpoint that was a bit smaller on my layout - one of those stations that i've seen throughout europe with grand arches for the trains - I found that TRIX had made this kit 66117 which is a model of the hamburg station (in HO but they've discontinued it) i haven't been able to find anything else stock like it in HO or N scale for that matter. I was maybe hoping you could give some advice where you might start looking to kit bash together maybe some arched bridges and city buildings to create a similar facade.

Thanks for the nice words Westy! That Trix kit is pretty cool, bummer they decided not to release it in N Scale. Its pretty distinctive as well, so it'll be quite difficult to match.

The Faller 212113 Bonn Station has a similar arch, and if you combined it somehow with the 222127 you might have enough pieces to fill in the gaps yourself! Its always a gamble, but there's a slight chance that the Trix model itself might be slightly under-sized for HO and you could get it to pass for N scale, but looking at the prices its going for that's a big gamble!

Here are some links to the Faller kits:http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh_detail.asp?ca=16&stock=F-212113

About Me

I'm into N Scale to have fun. Growing up my Dad was really big into HO (U.S.A. of course, mostly Western U.S. roads like Great Northern, Milwaukee Road, Northern Pacific, etc...) and he built me a small N Scale layout which I enjoyed as a small boy. Of the various trains I had at the time, the brand 'Minitrix' stuck in my head. As the years passed, N Scale was forgotten as new interests took my time.
As a new parent, I got back into model trains through O Gauge (Lionel and MTH). However, the cost of this scale, and the space needed for the sort of layout I wanted, made it a very frustrating hobby. Then one day at a hobby shop in California, I came across the Trix 2003 catalog; Inside this catalog were beautiful models of trains across Europe shown on beautiful layouts - and I was converted! It took a few years, but most of the O Gauge was sold (or stored) and I used the funds to start my new fantasy in N Scale.
Soon, I also discovered the amazing trains of Japan in N Scale, and begin my quest to build an interesting urban layout in a complete fantasy setting where the great trains of the world can run side by side!